1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new process for the production of 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid and/or its salts with nicotinic acid and/or its salts using microorganisms starting from pyrazinecarboxylic acid and/or its salts.
2. Background Art
In the following, by the term "nicotinic acid", "pyrazinecarboxylic acid"and"5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid" means the free acids as well as their salts, for example, their alkali salts or ammonium salts.
5-Hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid can be used, for example, as an intermediate product for the production of pharmaceutical agents, as well as, for example, for the production of pyrazine-nucleoside analogs having cytostatic effect P. Tuntiwachwuttikul, T. J. Bardos and M. Bobek, J. Heterocyclic Chem., (1991) Vol. 28, pages 1131 to 1137. It is known that 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid in the metabolism of dogs and humans is formed from pyrazinamide via pyrazinecarboxylic acid [Weiner et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., (1972), Vol. 180(2), 411-434 ].
A 5-stage chemical process for the production of 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid has been described, for example, starting from furfuryl glyoxal [McCoral et al., J. Heterocyclic Chem., Vol. 19, (1982), page 402]. However, this process has the drawback that it is not feasible on an industrial scale.
So far no microbiological process for the production of 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid is known.